The present invention relates to a look ahead based decision equalizer for equalizing a pulse amplitude modulation electronic signal and corresponding methods. Communication systems are composed of a transmitter, a receiver, and a channel. The transmitter generates an electronic signal conveying information, which, after being transmitted over a channel, is received and recovered. The signal typically experiences distortion in the form of changes in the amplitude and/or the phase during the transmission process. Therefore, the signal typically needs to be equalized at the receiver to overcome the distortion effects.